Home Children - Looking for information

[libell25]

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right spot or not.  I'm looking for information on my great-grandmother, Dorcas Louisa Charker.  She was brought over to Canada by Maria Rye in 1890 on the Sardinian.  She was born in 1881.

If this is the wrong place to post, can someone please point me in the right direction.  We never knew that my great grandmother was one of the British Home Children until a few days ago.  She never told anyone that we're aware of and some how managed to get in contact with her sister who remained in England in a workhouse or an orphanage and with a half sister that her mother had years after she was sent away.  Unclear as to why she and her sister Mary Ann were turned over to a workhouse by her mother except that fact that she was unwed.  After that we know her mother remarried and had numerous other children. 

[J.J.]

***This was initially posted on the resource board for Home Children.
 

[libell25]

Thanks.  Sorry, I'm new to this site and trying to figure out where to do what. 

[libell25]

Hi,
We've just discovered that my great grandmother, Dorcas Louisa Charker was brought from England by Maria Rye in 1890 on the Sardinian.  Beside her name is the # 2568.The date is May 22,1890.
The ship landed in Quebec and she was sent to a farm in Toronto Ontario .
Her mother's name was Sarah Ann Charker - father's name unknown.
Her birthdate is March 7, 1881.
She was 9 years old when she was sent away.
We would really like to find out the reason she was put into care and when.
She had a sister, Mary Ann Charker who was born in 1885 - and I believe
she was given up too but remained in England .

[J.J.]

Oh, they moved you without deleting my comment....wish the resource threads got cleaned up that quickly !!!!
We can't get into people's heads to find out that information... She may have been remarried
From the freeBMD http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Marriages June quarter 1889 Warwick district volume 6d  page848
Charker, Sarah Ann ....with John Cowley and Charles Rathbone on page. Someone can track her on U.K. census if you wish.

He may have said I 'll marry you, but not keep the children..Read through the Home Children resource page information...it happened...Many of these children were simply unwanted children.
Sorry to be blunt but after working on many of the home children threads, this is most often the scenario. Childbirth wasn't a choice back then and times were hard so if not well off, most often children meant another mouth to feed, a burden. She may also have been in the care of a grandparent at the time of the transfer...You may be able to send for her files
Hopefully her time improved here in canada, but that might not have been the case either.
Did you locate her on the censuses?

[polarbear]

Hello and a very warm welcome to RootsChat  .

I can see from what appears to be your tree on Ancestry that you have a fair bit of info about her life in Canada, including her marriage and children. What a lovely picture you have of Dorcas! I just wanted to mention this so our very enthusiastic chatters won't duplicate your efforts.

Edit: a second look at the tree showed me I missed the 1901 census record therein so I have edited my note about same.

Regards
Polarbear

[libell25]

Thanks, we have found the 1901 census and have her listed living with a family.  She is 18 years old.  We actually have correspondence from a member of that family.  We're unsure whether she went directly to them when she came to Canada or if she was placed with another family prior to this.  That is what we would like to find out.  She was a very intelligent woman and seemed to do well here in Canada.  She was a valued member of the Conservative Party in Toronto later in her life.

[libell25]

I don't have access to the UK Census.  If anyone can search Sarah Ann for me and her husband John Cowley.  We would like to know names and dates of the other children's birth and double check whether Mary Ann (Sarah's other daughter before her marriage) was kept or put out with Dorcas.  We have been lead to believe that she was put out as well but she did stay in England and was not sent to Canada with Dorcas. 

[polarbear]

It may be possible to track her records and obtain a copy. I don't know if you have tried to look yet? I have no idea how to find Miss Rye records but will give it a try, if you would like?

Dorcas' destination according to the passenger list was actually Niagara Ontario. Miss Rye apparently opened a home there from which I assume the children were later sent out.

PB